The present invention relates to a transporting and lifting apparatus, useful for aiding handicapped individuals, and particularly relates to a transporting and lifting apparatus for transporting and lifting or elevating an individual who might otherwise not be able to lift themselves, for example, from a fallen position on the floor.
Not infrequently, handicapped individuals and others find themselves in a position where they cannot lift themselves into an elevated position because of the handicap or other incapacitating conditions For example, a handicapped individual may slip from a bed or wheelchair onto the floor or when moving from one place to another. That individual may not have the capacity to lift himself or herself into an elevated position, for example, into a sitting position on a chair. Additionally, his or her weight may be sufficient such that another individual may not be able to provide the necessary assistance to lift the incapacitated individual into the elevated position. Further, the incapacitated individual may require movement from a particular position before being lifted into a seated or wheelchair-height position. Thus, if the individual falls in a remote area where assistance to that individual is difficult, such as in a corner of the room, the incapacitated individual may first have to be moved or transported before being helped into the elevated position.
The present invention primarily provides a lifting apparatus by which an individual who cannot raise himself or herself may, with assistance, be elevated into another position, for example, a sitting position, or to wheelchair height. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lifting chair-like platform on which the incapacitated individual may be initially disposed and subsequently lifted, with the assistance of another individual, using a bilateral ratcheting motion, i.e., a rocking motion of the device, wherein the platform may be raised from adjacent floor level to an elevated level, for example, chair height. Additionally, should the incapacitated individual require translational movement, i.e., movement from a location where it is inconvenient to rise, before being lifted into the elevated position, the chair-like platform hereof is provided with casters. Thus, once the incapacitated individual is disposed on the platform at floor level, the platform may be translated horizontally into a position more convenient for lifting the individual into the desired elevated position.
According to the present invention, there is provided a frame which has a generally centrally disposed platform or seat on which the incapacitated individual may be initially placed. The frame also includes a pair of sleeves or tubes adjacent each of the opposite sides of the frame. The lifting apparatus also includes a pair of inverted, generally U-shaped, bars, each having a pair of legs joined at their upper ends by a crossover bar. The legs of each U-shaped bar are telescopically receivable in corresponding sleeves of the frame along the respective opposite sides. Each of the legs includes a plurality of ratchet teeth spaced longitudinally therealong. Along each of the opposite sides of the frame, there is provided a pair of ratchet catches forming part of a unitary assembly for engagement with the ratchet teeth of the legs of the corresponding U-shaped bar. Each ratchet assembly is biased in a direction to engage the ratchet catches with the ratchet teeth of the legs to maintain the frame at a selected elevated position along the U-bars.
With the frame supported on the floor and the distal ends of the legs of each U-shaped bar disposed in the sleeves along opposite sides of the frame, it will be appreciated that the frame is movable in an upward or first direction relative to the U-shaped bars by a ratcheting action. Moreover, the frame may be locked in selected adjusted elevated positions along each of the inverted U-shaped bars by the engagement of the ratchet catches with the corresponding ratchet teeth. Importantly, and for reasons which will become clear, each ratchet assembly is operated independently of the ratchet assembly of the other side of the frame. For actuating this ratcheting action, there is mounted adjacent each side of and on the frame a slightly upwardly inclined lifting tube for receiving the end of a lifting lever.
To use the lifting apparatus hereof, the frame with the attached chair-like platform or seat is disposed adjacent to the incapacitated individual. Usually, the incapacitated individual will be able to position himself or herself on the platform at floor level. Of course, another individual may assist in locating the incapacitated individual on the platform. Once positioned on the platform, an assisting individual locates the legs of the U-bars telescopically within the sleeves of the frame and inserts one end of the lifting lever into the lifting tube on one side of the frame.
When the assisting individual lifts the lever, the entire lifting apparatus may be pivoted about the bottom of the frame about an axis along the opposite side of the apparatus. As the one side of the frame is lifted upwardly in a first direction, i.e., pivoted about its other side, the inverted U-shaped bar on the lifted side of the frame will slide or telescope within the sleeve , ratcheting past the ratchet catches until the distal ends of the legs of the bar engage the floor. This lifting action is then discontinued, permitting the catches to engage the ratchet teeth, leaving the platform in an inclined or tilted position from side to side. The lever is then removed from the one side and inserted into the lifting tube on the other side of the frame. In similar fashion, the other side of the lifting apparatus is lifted by the assisting individual by pivoting the apparatus about an axis passing through the distal ends of the U-bar adjacent the one side of the apparatus. This permits the U-bar on the other side of the frame to similarly ratchet through the sleeves until the other side of the platform is at an elevated position higher than the position of the one frame side. It will be appreciated that when the weight of the apparatus and the individual carried thereby is shifted or rocked from side to side, the ratchet catches will engage in the ratchet teeth and prevent the frame from sliding downwardly along the U-bars in a second direction.
From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that by alternating the lifting effort from one side to the other side, i.e., back and forth, a bilateral incremental ratcheting of the frame in an upward or first direction along the U-bars is achieved. While the individual on the platform is inclined from side-to-side during this process, the inclinations are not sufficiently great to cause the individual to fall from the platform. It will also be appreciated that this side-to-side rocking motion, by which one side is lifted and locked into position and then the other side is lifted and locked into position, eventually raises the platform from floor level to an appropriate height, for example, wheelchair-height, whereby the incapacitated individual may be transferred from the lifting apparatus to the wheelchair, chair or bed.
In those situations where the individual has fallen in an area where it is inconvenient to lift the individual as just described, casters may be provided on the lower ends of the sleeves of the frame. Once the individual is positioned on the platform adjacent floor level, the lever may be connected to the frame to serve as a handle for moving the apparatus horizontally along the floor to a position where it is convenient to operate the lever in conjunction with the lifting apparatus to raise the individual into the elevated position as previously described. In this aspect of the invention, the U-bars are inserted into the upper ends of the sleeves and, upon raising each side of the frame initially, the casters will drop from the frame or be forced from the frame by the U-bars, enabling the distal ends of the U-bars to pass through the sleeves and engage the floor as described above.
Another feature of the present invention resides in the capability of interchanging the platform with other support devices. For example, the platform or seat is preferably removably clipped to the frame and thus easily removed and replaced, for example, by a toilet seat. By clipping a toilet seat with an underlying plastic container to the frame, the lifting apparatus may be transposed into a commode. Another alternative is to provide a seat which facilitates an individual taking a shower. It will also be appreciated that, while the description herein is presented with respect to a lifting apparatus for handicapped individuals, it is not limited thereto in that the apparatus may be used to transport or elevate other loads, as necessary or desirable.
In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for lifting a load, comprising a frame having a generally centrally disposed member for bearing a load and a plurality of elements spaced one from the other about the periphery of the frame and with first and second pairs of elements lying on opposite sides of the frame and first and second pairs of legs for disposition in slidable relation to the first and second pairs of elements, respectively. Means are carried by the frame on the opposite sides thereof cooperable with the first and second pairs of legs, respectively, when the legs are disposed in slidable relation to the elements, for enabling movement of the frame relative to the legs in a first direction into selected adjusted positions relative to one another and for releasably precluding movement of the frame relative to the legs in a second direction opposite the first direction in each selected adjusted position thereof. The cooperable means on the opposite sides of the frame are independent of one another whereby one side of the frame is movable relative to the pair of legs on one side thereof and in the first direction, while the other side of the frame and the other pair of legs on the other side of the frame remain immovable relative to one another. Means are carried by the frame for alternately moving the opposite sides of the frame in the first direction relative to the pair of legs on the corresponding side of the frame for displacing the load carried by the centrally disposed member in the first direction.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for lifting a load, comprising the steps of (a) providing a frame having a generally centrally disposed member for bearing a load and a plurality of sleeves spaced one from the other about the periphery of the frame with first and second pairs of the elements lying on opposite sides of the frame, (b) disposing first and second pairs of legs in slidable telescopic relation with the first and second pairs of sleeves, respectively, (c) moving one side of the frame and the first sleeves of the frame upwardly relative to the first pair of legs into a first selected adjusted elevation while precluding movement of the opposite side of the frame and the second sleeves hereof relative to the second pair of legs in a downward direction, (d) subsequently moving the opposite side of the frame and the second sleeves thereof upwardly relative to the second pair of legs into a second selected adjusted elevation above the first elevation while precluding movement of the one side of the frame and the first sleeves thereof relative to the first pair of legs in a downward direction and (e) alternately moving opposite sides of the frame in accordance with steps (c) and (d) hereof for displacing the load carried by the centrally disposed member in an upward direction.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved lifting device for elevating loads and particularly adapted for use by handicapped individuals for elevating themselves from a position, for example, adjacent floor level, into an elevated position, for example, at a height facilitating a handicapped individual's movement into a chair or onto a bed.
These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings.